Thunder cough up early lead in loss to Erie

TRENTON — The past two days haven’t been kind to the Thunder’s pitching staff.

A day after getting blasted for 11 runs against the Portland Sea Dogs, the Thunder were rocked once again, losing to the Erie SeaWolves 11-4 Monday night at Arm & Hammer Park. In nine innings, the Thunder gave up an eye-popping 20 base runners.

“It’s not the easiest two days or the best two days I’ve had, and I’m not too happy about it,” manager Tony Franklin said. “We’re better than that and we have to play better than that.”

Things didn’t turn south for the Thunder until fifth inning. After giving up an RBI double to Herman Perez in the first, Thunder starter Shane Greene — making just his second Double-A start after being promoted from High-A Tampa — settled down, posting three consecutive scoreless frames.

The Thunder were actually able to jump out ahead in the fourth when Carmen Angelini chopped a spinning ground ball past Erie first baseman James Robbins, bringing home Tyler Austin. After designated hitter Andrew Clark slapped an RBI single into right, Jose Pirela was able to drive a double over the head of left field Marcus Lemon, plating Angelini and Clark.

That 4-1 lead, however, would be short-lived.

In the fifth inning, a Kyle Roller error allowed Erie’s Luis Castillo to reach first base, and that’s when the wheels feel off. Jamie Johnson slapped a 2 RBI double into right, then, with the bases loaded, Greene hit Perez to drive in another run. The righty then allowed a pair of sacrifice flies to James McCann and Tyler Collins, putting the SeaWolves up for good at 5-4.

Greene left the game after finally getting out of the inning, leaving with a final line of six runs — four earned — with four strikeouts, two walks and five hits in five innings.

“(Greene) got his act together and made some pitches, but we didn’t help him out,” Franklin said. “We can’t afford to make mistakes behind guys who aren’t very sharp.”

Unfortunately for Franklin and company, the bullpen wasn’t all that much better. Rigoberto Arrebato had a relatively easy sixth, but gave up an RBI single to McCann in the seventh, and allowed three of the four base runners he faced in the eighth to reach base.

Tommy Kahnle, perhaps the Thunder’s best reliever, then came on and allowed two inherited runners to score. In the ninth inning, he coughed up two more on a Johnson single and a wild pitch.

“He got some pitches up, and when you get pitches up you get hit,” Franklin said.

The Thunder will try to rebound with another 7:05 start against the SeaWolves Tuesday night, with the rehabbing Michael Pineda on the mound.

“When you’re not playing well, you should feel embarrassed about you’re performance,” Franklin said. “It’s not the time to run and hide, it’s the time to kick yourself in the rear end and get going.”

NOTES: During the games middle innings, it appeared as if it might be delayed by a lightning storm in Pennsylvania that was visible over the right field wall. The storm, however, never affected play and the game continued with no delay.